Review: Speed - The Movie, The Play
Picture: On the bus. Image credit: Creative Futures Photography
Act React is an experienced team of comedy geniuses, with a reputation for successfully reinterpreting and representing well-loved blockbuster films. I am a fan of the work of this talented Queensland team, which is why I was surprised to realise I hadn’t seen their fantastic Speed: The Movie, The Play before. Fortunately for me I got to enjoy the 300th performance of this iconic show, and I am delighted to say that I was not disappointed.
Speed: The Movie, The Play is the perfect fringe and comedy festival show. It’s funny, fast-paced, immersive, slightly silly, and a must-see event. And is perfectly placed on a 1970 Leyland Panther, in the full orange-and-white heritage livery of Brisbane City Council buses, which for this run is sitting in the Brisbane Powerhouse Stores Forecourt.
The show is written by Dan Beeston, Natalie Bochenski, and Gregory Rowbotham, and is a fabulous homage to the 1994 action thriller film. You don’t need to love the film—or even to have seen it before. But, as a quick refresher, or if you haven’t seen the film, all you really need to know is that the original stars Keanu Reeves, Dennis Hopper, and Sandra Bullock. The plot centres on a city bus that Hopper’s character has rigged to explode once the speed drops below 50 miles per hour. Reeves is cast as the police officer who boards the bus, saves the day, and gets up close and personal with Bullock (one of the passengers).
Speed: The Movie, The Play is shorter than the original film, which ran for almost 2 hours. Speed: The Movie, The Play is a fast-paced and much more entertaining 60 minutes—where the audience travels from an elevator rescue and the shooting of Harry Temple, onto the ‘death bus ride, and towards the final train wreck. The suitably fringe comedy attention to detail is fantastic. My personal highlights include the bus leap, the bomb vest, and of course ‘movement’ of the speeding bus and train—complete with ‘speeding past’ trees, signs, lights, and other ‘stationary’ objects.
The seven members of the Act React cast do a great job in connecting with the audience, amping up the fun, and keeping this bus on track to deliver the promised entertainment. The accents are quirky, the melodramatic style is perfectly judged (those Keanu hair flounces!), the audience participation is spot on, and the film references are the icing on this particular cake—so it’s 5 stars from me for the work of Daren King (Keanu), Damien Campagnolo (Dennis), Gregory Rowbotham (Harry), Amy Driscoll (Helen), Christopher Batkin (Tourist), Scott Driscoll (Mac), and Natalie Bochenski (Sam).
Picture: Daren King (Keanu). Image credit: Creative Futures Photography.
Picture (L to R): Natalie Bochenski (Sam).and Daren King (Keanu). Image credit: Creative Futures Photography.
Picture (L to R): Difficult choices - and excellent audience participation! Image credit: Creative Futures Photography..
Picture: Damien Campagnolo. Credit: Creative Futures Photography.
Picture (L to R): Daren King (Keanu) and Thursday’s excellent 7pm ‘Sandra.’ Image credit: Creative Futures Photography.
Picture (L to R): Gregory Rowbotham (Harry) and Daren King (Keanu). Image credit: Creative Futures Photography.
As Speed: The Movie, The Play debuted at the 2015 Brisbane Comedy Festival, it’s appropriate that the special 300th milestone is celebrated back at the Brisbane Powerhouse. Here’s hoping that the team members continue to enjoy the success they deserve. My recommendation? Don’t wait for over 10 years and 300 more shows before you get to see Speed The Movie, The Play – or indeed anything produced by the talented Act React team. If you can’t get tickets for the remaining Speed shows this weekend, look out for the Flabbergasters… or petition for the return of Speed: The Movie, The Play to run throughout the 2027 Brisbane Comedy Festival…
With all of the madness going on in the world, this is exactly the silliness and sheer joy that everyone needs. Answer the opening ‘are you ready to ride the bus?’ call, and get to see this show.
Picture: The 300th Speed cake moment Image Credit: Creative Futures Photography
Audience information: Speed: The Movie, The Play, Stores Forecourt, Brisbane Powerhouse, New Farm (26 March-19 April 2026). Suitable age 10+. Contains limited strobe lighting and some slightly loud noises, with the use of comedy guns and blood references. No drinks are permitted during the event, and producers advise that there is no step‑free or lift access available. There is a full lockout for this performance and latecomers are not permitted. 60 minutes, no interval. Tickets $45-48 plus $7.20 transaction fee.
Speed: The Movie, the Play is also a fundraiser, as the show would not be possible without the Act React partnership with the Queensland Omnibus and Coach Society. The team has donated a portion of box office proceeds to help preserve these fantastic buses from bygone eras (over $30,000 donated to bus non-profits since first starting… over $10,000 of which has been donated to the Queensland Omnibus and Coach Society.
The reviewer attended the 16 April 2026 7pm show.